#Bela dimitrescu x ofc

[asphyxiateher]

Hey folks, just wanted to share some amazing fan art I received for my fic Only the Monsters Come Out at Night and I’m still emotional over it.

Desdemona, my OFC, pictured in the center with Bela and Daniela flanking her on either side and I’m 🤧😳👌🏼🥺❤️ just in awe over it.

Thank you, you know who you are, I hope you have a fabulous day!

[asphyxiateher]

Only Monsters Come Out At Night

Chapter Four: The Ties that Bind

Summary: Desdemona receives a warning from Lady Dimitrescu before she sets off to spend time with Cassandra. Veronica is alive but just barely. 

A/N: This chapter is longer than anticipated, I tried to be descriptive without being too wordy but alas, I hope you enjoy anyway. 

Desdemona Hawthorne wishes she could convince herself that she does not believe in luck because it’s a flimsy excuse that most people fall back on to justify the unfavorable circumstances they may find themselves in. Growing up in the suburbs, she had heard all kinds of non-sense about how putting enough positive thoughts and energy out in the universe would grant you the gift of receiving everything you have ever wanted in return. Desdemona isn’t quite sure how to describe her current predicament, but she is certain that even vomiting rainbows and shitting out sunshine would not be enough to get her out of Castle Dimitrescu. No, this is the rotten luck she’s grown accustomed to having follow her around and it had tainted this vacation from the beginning. She just wanted to see the castle that inspired Dracula and learn about its history so she could say she went out there to pursue a seemingly impossible dream and made it come true.

Desdemona did not come out here to be imprisoned by three monstrous vampires who either wanted to kill her or fuck her, she couldn’t tell which they wanted to do more of at this point, so this whole unnerving, unpleasant experience warranted a refund. She had been expecting a tour guide and a group of fellow tourists when her group made it up here but instead, here she was stuck in a foul-smelling, subterranean cellar that was currently occupied by her and the three vampiric sisters she mentioned earlier. The eldest sister, Bela, stood in front of Desdemona protectively as she attempted to swat away at her sisters that were now slowly approaching them with raised sickles. “She’s mine, you delusional twit! She gave me something that was clearly important to her, that means she has declared herself to me!” Bela hollered, hissing when Daniela swung her sickle at her. “Bela, you selfish brat, you’re always sucking up to Mother and trying to be better than us at everything, but she told you to share! I am sick and tired of being given the leftovers; sometimes I want the first bite, you know!” Cassandra whines, transforming into a massive ball of insects only to instantly appear by Desdemona’s side.   “Cassandra, you know how it is with Bela; we do all the work, and she takes all the credit! Let us humble our dear sister and take what is rightfully ours.” Daniela snarls, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she flicks her gaze over to Desdemona. She licks her lips and moans when she takes in her prey’s scent, her fear sweetening her blood.

Desdemona was at a loss for words the moment Daniela expressed her clear distaste for her sister’s arrogance. It was not only what came out of her mouth that perplexed the human, but it was in the manner of how she complained to Cassandra about Bela. The whole unsettling conversation between the siblings made Desdemona feel like they were ready to tear her apart so they could divide her evenly between the three of them. In hindsight, she probably should not have given any of the sisters a gift if this was going to be the reaction, but had they all been here the other day, maybe she could have given them all a little something to remember her by at the same time. However, this little opportunity could prove to be beneficial should the women begin tearing and clawing at each other rather than her. Maybe this is where they shred each other apart and Desdemona might have a fighting chance at making it out of here after all. She needed to find out where this was going fast and if she was going to need to take cover.

“Daughters, what is the meaning of this? I have bestowed each of you a gift that the three of you were supposed to share and take responsibility for only to have you throw back the kindness I’ve shown you back in my face!” Alcina’s booming voice in dungeon startled everyone in the room. The chamber door clicked open, exposing the rather imposing figure that belonged to Lady Dimitrescu. She scanned the room and glared at her three cowering daughters, carelessly throwing in another body into the room that she had been hauling behind her. Desdemona’s eyes widened in surprise when she recognized Veronica’s limp body curled on the ground.

“You know you’re supposed to take care of your pets and not let them rot in the cellar! Have I not taught you girls any manners or did I overestimate your ability to take care of this human you are all so fond of? Ugh, no matter, I have another task for you girls. You are to assist Karl with a project; he found an abandoned van not too far from the village and was able to tow it back to the castle. We found some of Desdemona’s belongings that I’m sure you all would be interested in.” Alcina said sweetly, smirking when her daughters expressed their delight at embarking on such a quest. Desdemona carefully approached Veronica’s resting form and knelt on the ground beside her, gently lifting her head and placing it on her lap. She gasped aloud when she saw how bruised and broken Veronica appeared, her hair disheveled as her skin was marred with darkened bruises and scars that indicated severe physical trauma. Veronica shifted in place and lifted a shaky hand in the air, her breathing slow and calm when she feels Desdemona’s fingers clasp together with hers.

 “What…what happened to you, V? You look like shit.” Desdemona teases, hoping to brighten her best friend’s mood somehow. Veronica smiles at Dezzy’s playful tone and lightly squeezes her hand. Veronica suddenly grimaces and turns her head to her side, her tongue rolling around against her cheek before she spits something out.

‘Wait, did she just spit out a tooth? What did Lady Dimitrescu do to you, Veronica?’ Desdemona sadly thinks to herself as she pulls Veronica closer until she’s settled comfortably on her lap.

“You know me, Dezzy, I don’t know when to shut the fuck up. She wants to break me and I want to irritate her until my very last breath; this relationship is in absolutely no way toxic.” Veronica says, coughing out blood when she tries to laugh through the pain.

“Mother, that loud-mouth with the gross blood is touching our plaything. May we slit her throat and hang her upside down until she bleeds out?” Cassandra asks with a sneer. Daniela is scowling at Veronica and she looks ready to pounce but she somehow manages to refrain from doing so after looking to her mother for any signs of approval. Thankfully, Alcina manages to look annoyed with the request more than anything.

“No, no, you girls will not touch what belongs to me. She was starting to bore me so throwing her in here for a day will allow me to recharge. I will, however, remind you that your new task needs to be done immediately so I suggest you find your dear Uncle Karl and help him with whatever he needs. I will tend to your pet and give her a bath. She and I need to have an important talk regarding your needs.” Alcina states as she glances over to Desdemona cradling her best friend in her arms.

“Mother, if Desdemona needs a bath, I would be more than happy to assist you in all matters that concern my beloved.” Bela offers, beaming when she gazes into Desdemona’s eyes.

The crestfallen expression on Bela’s face after Alcina politely rejects her offer has the other two sisters snickering in the back. Disheartened at the idea of Desdemona being handled in the bath by her mother, Bela disintegrates into a million insects and leaves the space. Her two sisters soon follow when their mother shoots them a knowing look.

Alcina’s attention now falls on Desdemona and the surviving Hawthorne twin feels her heart begin to race. She doesn’t quite know how to act around Lady Dimitrescu and judging by how broken Veronica looked, Desdemona figures she must continue to act submissive and demonstrate manners when she’s spoken to. Until she can come up with a formidable plan to escape the castle with her best friend in tow, Desdemona must continue to get to know Lady Dimitrescu and her three daughters better. She’ll eventually figure out what their weaknesses are by playing the long game.

“I guess I better get going, V. Please feel better soon and you know, try not to die.” Desdemona says as she places a gentle kiss on her friend’s forehead.

 Veronica scoffs and bats away at her in response.

“I can’t make any promises I can’t keep. You just do you until you know, find something worth finding out about and tell me all about it. Oh, and Dezzy,” Veronica says quietly as she watches her best friend cautiously approach Lady Dimitrescu, who had been observing their interaction with curiosity. “let it be known that you have the worst fucking luck in the world with women. Take care of yourself, yeah?”

Desdemona sighs at that and offers her friend a knowing smile. She’d spent most of her life being attracted to heterosexual women or women who were emotionally unavailable to her; she didn’t think she’d ever cross the line of the usual types she’s typically drawn to but here she was fighting for survival as a trio of dangerous vampires decided to lay their claim on her.

Des dares to look up at Alcina, who unfortunately had already been staring at her, and she gulps, picking up the pace to keep up with Lady Dimitrescu’s rather large strides. For the most part, Alcina does not engage in much conversation unless she felt the need to point something out about the mansion.

When they enter one of the guest bathrooms, Desdemona can’t help but be a little impressed at Lady Dimitrescu’s design choices. The exquisitely polished gold marble flooring stood out the most as two sinks lined up on both sides of the room, the cherry wood cabinets complimenting both the granite countertops and the glossy tile backsplash. Desdemona had to begrudgingly admit that Lady Dimitrescu had impeccable taste, her jaw dropping at the sight of a large bathtub sitting upon a platform in the center of the room.

Alcina wasted no time in stripping Desdemona of her ratty clothes after she had run enough hot water for her in the tub. The steam and warmth of the water was nearly enough to send Desdemona into a state of relaxation but then she remembered Alcina wanted to have an important discussion with her in private.

  “You know as well as I do that I do not care for humans. Your life has no meaning to me and should I wish to, I could cut you open at any given moment and offer any remaining part of you to the pigs after my daughters and I are through feasting on your corpse. The only reason you are being kept alive is because my daughters are growing fond of you. They’ve ever only known the company of family and the maidens they occasionally feed on so to see a blossoming…relationship between one of my daughters and her plaything is quite remarkable.”

Desdemona doesn’t dare say a thing as Alcina gently lifts her arms to scrub them. The word “relationship” is being tossed around so casually that it makes her wonder if any of these women knew what love was or if any of them were capable of forming attachments to other people.

When the smaller woman doesn’t reply, Alcina grips the back of Desdemona’s head and yanks it back so she could growl in her ear.

“You shall treat all my daughters as equals, pet. You will not favor one over the other two and you will do whatever it takes to keep them happy if you know what’s good for you. I care about my daughters and their happiness and if that means keeping you alive, you better damn well appreciate the gift I’m giving you by allowing you serve them. You shall spoil them, love them and show them affection because if word gets out that you’ve been a naughty little human that’s broken any of their hearts, I will gut you alive.”  

Desdemona feels her fists clench and unclench underneath the bath water at the mention of being gutted alive. A tear runs down her cheek at the disturbing memory of her twin brother’s bowels piling on the floor as Veronica’s screams echoed in the back of her mind. It was horrifying having to relive that particular memory over and over again.

‘You should tell her how much you hate her for killing Desmond. Stop being a pussy and stand up for yourself! Who cares if she beats you!? She murdered Desmond, you should be fighting tooth and nail for your freedom the way Veronica has been doing.’

With a shaky voice, Desdemona swallows her pride and nods in acquiescence to Lady Dimitrescu’s requests.

“I understand, my Lady. I will do whatever it takes to ensure that their needs are fulfilled and that they remain happy under my care.” Desdemona says after a tense moment.

Alcina smiles and releases the grip she had on the smaller girl’s head.

“Good, I’m glad we were able to clear that up like reasonable adults. After I’m done tidying you up, you will spend the night with Cassandra in her room. She has been upset ever since Bela told my other girls how you’d given her a phone full of pictures of you. For your sake, I sure do hope you plan on making it up to both Cassandra and Daniela; they’re starting to feel neglected.” Alcina tells her with a wicked smile on her face and Desdemona has to stop herself from groaning out loud.

She doesn’t necessarily have a plan to appease both Cassandra and Daniela but spending the night with Cassandra was a great starting point. It didn’t help matters that she was absolutely terrified of the sadistic vampire but perhaps it wouldn’t take much to charm her.

After the somewhat relaxing bath, Desdemona was left to her own devices to explore the mansion under the watchful eyes of Alcina. Cassandra’s bedroom wasn’t too far off from the hallway she was currently wandering through but the silence that followed her throughout the castle was still quite eerie. Desdemona’s hand reached for the golden doorknob in front of her when her ears are filled with uncontrollable giggling. She squeezes the knob and slightly turns it only to swat away at a few insects buzzing around her. Desdemona looks to her left and then to her right; there’s nothing on either side of her and so she takes a deep breath, wondering if she was slowly losing her mind the longer she stayed in the castle.

Opening the door, the next thing she sees is a black shadow with glistening white teeth lunging at her. “Rawr!”

Desdemona shouts and jumps back until she hits the wall behind her, her hand clutching at her chest as she tries to steady her heavy breathing. She’s not sure if she should be relieved to see that it was just Cassandra laughing at her reaction to the stupid jump scare but at least she wasn’t in immediate danger…maybe.

“Oh, you should see the look on your face – it’s priceless! Mmm, and just listening to the sound of your heart rapidly beating in your chest is lovely music to my ears. Fear thickens your blood and the thicker the blood, the sweeter it is.” Cassandra tells her, laughter now subsiding as she stands awkwardly in the doorway.

 “Is there a reason you came to visit little ol’ me or did you get lost on your way to find Bela?” Cassandra spits out Bela’s name with disdain and Desdemona knew she had to convince Alcina’s daughters that they all meant something to her, but she had to treat them all as equals as well.

 “I came to see you, actually. I wanted to spend some time with you and get to know you better since we got off the wrong foot at the beginning of all this.” Desdemona says uncertainly, peering over Cassandra’s shoulders to see if there was something she could work with if she managed to convince her to let her in.

Cassandra gives her a once over, her eyes lingering on certain parts of Desdemona longer than most and relents.

 “I do have a few questions about some of your belongings my dear Uncle Karl found in that hideous vehicle of yours. Now, I do occasionally dabble in the arts myself but these palettes you brought with you are utterly useless and too shiny for my liking! Explain this to me!” Cassandra exclaims as she leads a befuddled Desdemona into her room which was surprisingly ordinary considering the woman’s personality.

Desdemona was about to ask what she meant by shiny when her mouth suddenly hangs open at the sight of several expensive makeup palettes thrown and scattered about. Cassandra picks up a broken Pat McGrath eyeshadow palette and attempts to dip one of her makeup brushes in one of the colors and draws a sloppy line against the canvas she had set up on an easel in front of her.

‘Jesus fucking Christ, she’s trying to paint using your one hundred-and twenty-five-dollar eyeshadow palette.’ Desdemona thinks, desperately trying hard not to cry at the loss of something so precious to her.

Desdemona rolls her lips as she recognizes one of her favorite Morphe makeup brushes lying broken in half across the other side of the room. Cassandra had gone through her makeup bag and successfully destroyed at least a few hundred dollars worth of product. If survival wasn’t a big priority right now, Desdemona would have a mental breakdown over this. For now, she’ll be happy to take a rain check.

“So, I love your enthusiasm, Cassandra, and your idea to paint on a canvas using my makeup is really…creative. How about I show you how to do your makeup with what’s left?” Desdemona asks as she picks up a relatively intact kit that Cassandra paid no mind to.

Cassandra tilts her head in confusion.

“Why would I need makeup? You’re disgusted by the sight of me, aren’t you? I know I’m not as pretty or as smart as Bela, but you don’t need to go around telling me what I don’t already know!” Cassandra screeches, her hands wrapping around Desdemona’s neck and slamming her to the nearest wall. When Cassandra begins to apply a deadly amount of pressure, Desdemona had to act quickly.

“I-I just wanted to spend time with you, Cassandra! You’re beautiful without makeup, but seeing how much you like art, I thought you’d appreciate it a different way!” Desdemona manages to say, nearly coughing up a lung when Cassandra releases her.

The dark-haired woman eyes Desdemona suspiciously but she motions for the smaller girl to continue.

“I just thought maybe you’d want to partake in an activity we both would enjoy. It’s intimate and it would just be our thing, something that no one would take away from us. You’re already gorgeous, Cassandra, but this is a thing we could do for fun. Just you and me doing each other’s makeup...and maybe after we’ve gotten to know each other better, maybe we can just do each other.” Desdemona continues as she tries to double down on her flirtatiousness. She bats her eyelashes at Cassandra and her fingers begin to twirl the ends of her long, wavy dark brown hair.

Cassandra inhales Desdemona’s scent and rolls her eyes to the back of her head as if her blood were truly intoxicating in that moment. “Okay, I’ll let you do my makeup, Little One. Just…hurry up and let’s get to the part where we get to know each other better. I can’t wait to eat you all up once you let me, my pretty little plaything.” Cassandra whispers into Desdemona’s ear, her tongue leaving a wet trail from the nape of her neck to her collarbone. She enjoys the way the smaller girl shudders against her.

“R-right, let’s sit on your bed for a minute. I have some ideas and I’ll need your input. Your opinion is extremely important to me.” Des tells Cassandra, emphasizing how much she valued Cassandra’s contributions to their playdate activity, and it seemed to boost Cassandra’s ego.

Twenty minutes later after Desdemona had helped Cassandra clean her face, Desdemona straddled Cassandra and set herself to work on Lady Dimitrescu’s most insecure daughter. The smaller brunette was leaning closely over Cassandra and it was nearly too much for Cassandra’s senses. She was steadily growing impatient but there was something fascinating in the way Desdemona looked as she began doing her makeup. She looked focused, determined and when she fixed her brilliant gray eyes into Cassandra’s, there was a playfulness in the way she smiled at her. Cassandra felt her heart squeeze at the beautiful sight of her human sitting so peacefully atop of her. She did not want to ruin this moment but Cassandra hates holding back, whether its her feelings on something or when she’s out in the wilderness hunting, she needed to voice her thoughts.

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met and I’m glad you got lost in our village. I’ve met all sorts of pretty maidens but they were all so boring and rude, always screaming at the sight of us and running away from us when we wanted to play hide and seek. Your blood is so tempting, I want to bite into your neck and rip out your throat but…this, spending time like this with anyone outside of my family is nice. You’re so sweet it makes me want to taste you, but you also make me want to be around you more in a way that doesn’t involve killing, maiming, or torture, if that makes sense.” Cassandra blurts out in a rush, her cheeks glowing pink underneath the dim light of the torches in her room.

 Desdemona pauses and takes a moment to let all that sink in. Cassandra is adorably awkward, or that’s how she would describe her if she weren’t also an intimidating immortal vampire that could snap her neck at the drop of a hat. Cassandra didn’t like the long awkward pause that formed between them, so she begins digging her sharp nails into Desdemona’s thighs and the smaller girl reacts.

‘Des, you need to stab her in the eye while she’s vulnerable or if she’s really a vampire, try stabbing her in the heart! Kill her, kill her the way they so ruthlessly killed your brother and be done with it. Fight your way out of here, goddamn it!’ Desdemona’s thoughts were overwhelming her and as much as she wanted to fight the creatures that were responsible for her brother’s death and Veronica’s misery, she knew she had to discourage such thoughts from frequently forming in her mind. This game couldn’t be won if she gave in to her baser desires.

“Is your tongue coated in honey, Cassandra? I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but no one has said such lovely things to me before. It makes me want to kiss you.” Desdemona flirts as she brings her hips down against Cassandra, causing the other woman to moan aloud at the intense contact she felt between them. “So…what’s holding you back? Kiss me!” Cassandra demanded, her hands snaking underneath Desdemona’s blouse as her hands explored every inch of skin that she had access to. Desdemona accidentally lets out a moan of her own and freezes, her hands finding Cassandra’s and pinning them above her head. Cassandra liked this darker side of Desdemona, it meant that they could play rough in the bedroom and her plaything would like it. This would be the last and only time Desdemona would top her though.

“I told you, you need to let me finish your makeup and then we’ll get to the fun stuff. Patience is a virtue.” Desdemona says, laughing when Cassandra huffs and crosses her arms in displeasure. The smaller girl bites her lip when she thinks to herself how cute Cassandra seemed but the thought quickly vanishes when images of Desmond’s bloodied corpse enters her mind again.

This was going to be a long game indeed.

[asphyxiateher]

Only Monsters Come Out at Night

Chapter 3: Addicted to the Way You Hurt Summary: Desdemona is scheming her way out of the castle but a one on one conversation with Bela Dimitrescu shakes up her world.

Desdemona could not quite recall how long it had been since she had been brought down to the cellars of Castle Dimitrescu nor did she care. She had been escorted to a vast open chamber with a high vaulted ceiling, antique cast iron braziers lined the walls offering a dim light that caused shadows to flicker every which way. An archaic chandelier comprised of rusted metal swayed back and forth above her head and it was the only thing Desdemona could focus on as she lay on the ground with her hands clasped together behind her head. The only source of her comfort came in the form of the dank and moldy rustic stone flooring beneath her and that was not saying much.

She shifted uncomfortably to her side and sighed when she realized it was not going to get any better than this. It had taken awhile to adjust to the dark and dismal environment of her new accommodation, but Desdemona currently preferred the desolation over the company of the maniacal sisters who were currently enjoying the life of luxury above ground. At the thought of the chaotic personalities that belonged to Lady Dimitrescu’s daughters, Desdemona shivered and shut her eyes to assuage her fears. If they left her alone, she felt safe in this prison. The surviving Hawthorne twin groaned when she felt immense hunger pangs gnawing at her again, her thirst making itself known once more and she briefly wondered if this was how she was going to die. Gray eyes open in a flash and a familiar dread begins to creep in.

‘I don’t want to die, not like this.’ Desdemona thinks to herself, tears prickling in her eyes as the painful memory of Desmond’s death replays repeatedly in her mind. “Good morning, Little One. Did you sleep well? I could not stop thinking about you sleeping all alone in our cellar. You poor pretty thing, mother thought it best to leave you in here after all that commotion from before.” The voice came from outside the wooden door that kept her locked in the chamber, and Desdemona immediately sat up when she heard the terrifying sound of insects dispersing into what was supposed to be her temporary haven away from all the madness.

Long, dirty blonde hair was the first thing she noticed, and Desdemona’s anxiety spiked when she realized it was Bela Dimitrescu who decided to pay her a visit. From how fondly Alcina spoke of Bela, she was clearly the second in command and that made her incredibly dangerous. Self-preservation began to kick in and Desdemona knew that she had to use her words carefully if she wished to survive this potentially fatal encounter.

“��Bela, if I may address you as such, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Desdemona carefully asked as she slowly backed away from the sadistic killer. Bela surprised the smaller girl when she didn’t laugh at her question but instead offered a small smile in response. “You’re so polite, I almost find it unusual but it’s…pleasant. I can see why mother decided to keep you and I am thankful she did. You’re the best gift she’s ever bestowed to me.” Bela replied, giggling at Desdemona’s reaction when she steps closer to her.

Desdemona’s back hits the wall and Bela’s face is now inches away from hers, shrewd golden eyes now assessing the state of her prey. The blonde firmly cups Desdemona’s chin and forces fearful gray eyes to meet her gaze.

“Please don’t kill me.” Desdemona whispers quietly, her hands instinctively reaching upwards towards her chest. Bela quirks an eyebrow at the request but does not laugh, which throws her human prey off guard considering how she behaved towards her the other day. She quickly wraps a hand around Desdemona’s wrist and tugs her closer, their noses barely touching and Bela’s eyes roll to the back of her head when she inhales the other woman’s scent.

“There are many things I want to do to you, Little One, but killing you is not one of them. You are different and I am trying to figure out how. I yearn to be around you for reasons other than your blood and it’s…frustrating.” Bela admits quietly as she looks away.

Desdemona is shocked to see Bela’s demeanor suddenly change, annoyance quickly replacing her uncertainty in that moment.

“I can see that you’re malnourished. I will send for a maiden to deliver you food as soon as possible. Your blood smells less appetizing when you humans neglect your health. Ugh.” Bela growls as she pushes Desdemona back against the wall and away from her.

Bela twists around and begins to walk towards the exit when she notices Desdemona’s dirty backpack splayed on the floor, strange and unusual curiosities spilling out of it. Her mother had thoroughly searched through the contents of her bag in case she was hiding anything dangerous but was generous enough to leave most of the contents inside alone. Bela being the inquisitive creature that she was glanced over to Desdemona before kneeling on the ground to look through her pretty little pet’s personal items.

Desdemona let out a breath that she didn’t realize she had been holding and decided to take advantage of the peculiar scene unfolding in front of her. She cautiously took a step forward and when she concluded that Bela was not going to attack, Desdemona circled around her and quietly observed the dangerous woman prying into her personal life.

Bela tilted her head in confusion when pulled out a slim device with a cracked screen from the front pocket of her backpack and when she pressed the small circular button to see if it would do anything, the screen flashed on and it made Bela jump. Desdemona did not know whether or not she should laugh in fear for her safety, so she rolled her lips to maintain a neutral facial expression.

“What is this wretched thing and what is its purpose?” Bela demands as she struggles to make sense of Desdemona’s lock screen wallpaper, which was an image of a lone wolf. ‘Is she seriously trying to make conversation with me right now? What the fuck?’ Desdemona asks herself. She knows deep down that she should feel a deep hatred for the woman in front of her, but she didn’t want to anger her and cause her to lash out violently. Desdemona wanted to live a little while longer thank you very much.

“That’s a cell phone, like uh, a mobile telephone you can take everywhere with you and make phone calls. The biggest difference between the landline phone your mother has, as I’ve noticed, and mine is that I can play music, games, and share pictures on here. Crap, my battery is just about dead though.” Desdemona replies, trying ridiculously hard to hide her disappointment when she noticed there was still no signal anywhere in this castle.

Bela’s face lit up when Desdemona mentioned pictures and giggled madly at the prospect of seeing more of this resplendent creature wherever she went. “This bloody thing needs to charge in order to remain powered? I’ll have to ask mother about it, she’s more knowledgeable about modern technology as my sisters and I have no need to know about these things…well, at least until now. Show me where to find your pictures, pet!” Bela exclaims excitedly, her energy quickly swirling and improving the dark atmosphere that surrounded them both.

Desdemona fought valiantly to keep a neutral expression on her face but Bela was making it difficult to hate her when she was this endearing about wanting to learn more about her. When Desdemona made her phone easily accessible to Bela, she showed her where to find her photo albums and she nearly jumped out of her skin when the eldest daughter squealed with absolute glee. It took a great deal of effort not to blush and smile when Bela regarded her with what appeared to be admiration as she compared her appearance from how she looked in the photos to how she looked now.

‘You’re supposed to hate her, Desdemona. They killed your twin brother or have you already forgotten that?’

This strange and unusual moment she was sharing with Bela was all in the name of self-preservation and if giving the other woman her phone meant prolonging her life, then she would gladly give these women anything if it meant she could get out of here alive.

“These photos of you…they do not do you justice. You’re more beautiful in person, you know.” Bela murmurs quietly, a tidal wave of emotions washing over in an instant the moment she says this, and Desdemona is finally able to figure out why the other woman snapped at her earlier.

Bela was lonely, a trait she found in common with Lady Dimitrescu’s eldest daughter. She may have had her sisters for company for whoever knows how long but she could easily see how a sudden wave of isolation would wash over them from time to time. They craved companionship outside of the family and wanting to form an intimate connection with other people made them the way they are now. Desdemona related to that very well but on a level that did not send her on a murderous rampage. Perhaps she could use this to her advantage later; she could manipulate her way into the fold by making them think she cared about them and eventually use their weaknesses against them. It was all too tempting of an idea.

“Bela, you can have my phone and if you’re that to determined to learn how to use it, I’ll give you my charger if your mom can help you with that. Consider it a gift, you’ve been so… lovely and kind to me so far.” Desdemona said through nearly gritted teeth, wondering how long she could keep up with the façade. Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters had been everything but kind to her and lying wasn’t in her nature.

There is an uncomfortable quietness for a split second before Bela tears her eyes away from the phone and leers at Desdemona with an unmistakable look of hunger in her eyes. Desdemona swallows hard, wondering if she had gone a touch overboard but she couldn’t think on it any longer when Bela unexpectedly leaps at her with teeth bared.

Bela pushes her frightened victim hard onto her back and laughs wildly with her head thrown back before she leans over and attempts to capture her prey’s lips in what she thinks is supposed to be a kiss. Desdemona gasps into Bela’s mouth but that quickly turns into a whine the moment she feels teeth gnashing against her dried, chapped lips in a manner so rough, it felt as though Bela intended to rip out her mouth.

‘Oh fuck, this lunatic is going to rip your mouth off of your face; do something! Do whatever it takes to survive but for fuck’s sake, don’t let her rip your mouth off!’ Desdemona’s frantic thoughts spurred her into action, the taste of her own blood already coating her tongue.

Desdemona summons enough strength to shove Bela away from her face but not off of her, her hands shakily keeping Bela in place atop of her hips. Bela, for the most part, looks furious at being rejected and she’s ready to punish her plaything for fighting back until she speaks again.

“I-if that’s what you c-call a kiss, you’ll need to do better than that, Bela. If I don’t have any lips to kiss you back, what would your sisters about say about that? Wasn’t it you that accused them of breaking me faster than you ever could? Don’t you want to savor every inch of me?” Desdemona ventures playfully, testing the waters to see if she could invoke any kind of reaction that would somehow calm Bela down. It seemed to work as Bela’s eyes widened in surprise, her hands flying up to cover her own mouth as if she were ashamed of her actions.

“You’re right, Cassandra and Daniela would never let me hear the end of it if I tore any part of you off before they get a chance to. It would be too humiliating!” Bela says as she unmounts herself from Desdemona.

Desdemona slowly begins to lean back on her arms as if to get up and the movement does not go unnoticed by Alcina’s eldest daughter. Bela grips the back of her head and forces her off the ground, her eyes slowly going over the entire length of Desdemona’s body once more. Desdemona feels her breath hitch the moment Bela tugs her closer to her body so now that their breasts were touching.

“You are driving me wild with lust, Desdemona Hawthorne, and it is dangerous for you should you dare toy with me. I mentioned earlier that you’re different from all the other maidens we interact with here in our home. The other women scream at the very sight of us! When we play, they bleed and cry for help, they fight back and run away only to find that there is nothing they can do to stop us. They don’t communicate with us, they only weep and beg for mercy and it is so very tiresome. Their blood was beginning to sicken me to the point that I thought all women’s blood was disgusting…until you came along that is.” Bela tells her in an unusually quiet tone, her grip on Desdemona’s thick tresses of hair loosening.

Desdemona licks her lips, a motion Bela follows with interest, and she sucks in a mouthful of air as she tentatively places a hand on top of Bela’s. She exhales when Bela’s fingers curl around her hand possessively.  

“Disobedience begets punishment and the maidens that dare fight back and run from us find out that my mother’s wrath comes in many unpleasant forms. You’re lucky if you’re brought down here to die, but the others…let’s just say they eek out a living in abandoned parts of my mother’s home with nothing but the memories of what they were before and now their only purpose in life is to consume the living.” Bela brings up Desdemona’s knuckles to her lips and kisses them. She forces one of Desdemona’s fingers into her mouth and moans as she sucks on the tip, immensely enjoying the other woman’s reaction to her lewd action.

Desdemona was breathing heavily now, an unsettling chill washing over her in what she assumed was fear. She could not believe what she was hearing yet Bela telling her all this so casually meant that harassing and tormenting maidens was the norm for Lady Dimitresu and her daughters. It sounded like they either fed off of the poor maidens that worked in the castle or Lady Dimitrescu herself experimented on or killed the disobedient ones.

“Where do I fit in all of this?” Desdemona asks. “Mother has seen it fit to keep you alive as my pet and I can do whatever I want with you yet you don’t fight back, you speak to me in a respectful tone and you’ve given me a gift. You have clearly declared your utmost love and devotion to me. I must keep you alive and away from my sisters so neither of them can see what you mean to me. You are my beloved!” Bela declares confidently as she reaches out to pet Desdemona’s head affectionately.

‘What?’

Desdemona freezes in place as her mind tries to absorb what is being said to her. She figured that Bela was lonely but that she was also the wisest and more mature of her sisters so she expected her to have a stronger notion as to what love entails. Desdemona should have known better to expect more from monsters who have known nothing but the horrors of sacrifice, torture, and murder in this hell house.

Bela grew slightly impatient at Desdemona’s continued silence and startled the younger girl by slapping her across the face.

“Well, do you have anything to say after I poured my heart and soul out to you or are you just toying with me? Mother and I do not tolerate the games you humans like to play.” Bela growls out menacingly as she towers over her prey, her hand reaching for the sickle that was strapped to her side.

Although she was momentarily stunned, Desdemona’s survival instincts kicked right back into gear.

“I-I understand, I apologize for my quiet demeanor but that’s how I am. I’m not used to sharing my thoughts with other people, so please bear with me, Mistress!” Desdemona begins, her hands reaching out and clutching at Bela’s hooded dress. She looked up and could see that Bela was clearly pleased with the title of ‘Mistress.’

“You’ll find that I prefer that you share your thoughts with me more often, my love, since you’ve so freely given yourself to me. I will go inform mother of our developing relationship and quickly send a maiden down here for food, you poor thing. I can hear your stomach growling and it is so pitiful to see. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you to recover but don’t fret for too long. I’ll be back to see you soon.” Bela turned to leave but there was another question in the back of Desdemona’s mind that demanded an answer so she hurried over to Bela’s slowly disintegrating form and gripped her shoulder in order to stop her.

 Bela raised a brow at the action but when turned around, she couldn’t help but melt at the sight of Desdemona’s pretty puppy dog eyes looking up at her in love and adoration.

“Before you go, I have to know what happened to my best friend, Veronica. The loud-mouth your mother dragged around in chains. Is she…is she still alive?” Desdemona asked, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer but if she were still alive, at least she wouldn’t be alone and in miserable in Castle Dimitrescu.

 Bela smirked knowing exactly what plans her mother had in store for the other screeching woman-thing. The way Desdemona was looking at her, however, made her bite her own lip and relent. She normally kept her mother’s word and did not discuss such plans with outsiders but this was the woman who threw herself at Bela’s feet and declared her love for her.

“Mother is teaching her a lesson about obedience. She will not kill her if your friend plays her cards right, but your friend is stubborn and mother likes to beat that out of our servants. That’s all I will say on the matter, does that satisfy you?” Bela asked as she cupped Desdemona’s chin and gazed into her unfathomably deep gray eyes.

Desdemona holds back a choked sob and simply nods in response, sighing in relief when Bela finally transforms into a massive ball of insects and leaves the dungeon.

 She curls up into a ball and brings her knees tightly against her chest, tears now running freely down her face. Desdemona cries for what seems like an eternity but when she begins to calm down, a small amount of hope swells in her chest. Veronica was still alive. If they could reunite, they could come up with a plan to escape this castle without alerting Lady Dimitrescu and her demented daughters. There’s absolutely no way they could fight their way out of here, no matter how much Veronica would want to go out in the most violent way possible.

Just on the other side of the chamber’s door and down the dimly lit and gloomy hallway, Bela was on her way to see her mother when she glanced down at the strange device her beloved Desdemona had given her. Her heart was consumed by a strange, fluttering feeling that made her feel light-headed and it would have annoyed Bela if the picture on the screen wasn’t so damned tempting. It was a picture of Desdemona wearing absolutely nothing and she was posing so provocatively that it made Bela want to go back and have her way with the beauty she was looking at on screen. She had been messing around with the photo albums Desdemona showed her and found something that read ‘Hidden’. She must have clicked it by accident, and mother forgive her, she was ever so glad that she did.

Bela sighed and clutched the phone tightly to her chest, not wanting this strange sensation of desire to leave her body. She was absolutely certain that she was in love with Desdemona Hawthorne and nobody was going to take that away from her.